Method of manufacturing tea cartridges



June 10 1924.

B. HIRSCHHORN METHOD OF MANUFACTURTNG TEA CARTRIDGES Filed Feb. 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

INVENTOR $4 7774,

June 10 1924.

B. HIRSCHHORN METHOD OF MANUFACTURTNG TEA CARTRIDGES Filed Feb. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTOB/VEV Patented June '10, 1924.

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BENJAMIN HIRSCHHO'RN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

T0 MILLIE PATENT HOLDING CO. INC.,

NEW YORK.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF METHOD or MANUFACTURING TEA CARTRIDGES.

Application filed February 3, 1923. Serial No. 616,772.

a specification.

The present invention relates to a method of making tea cartridges, that is to say devices for percolating or extracting the flavor from tea-leaves or coffee.

One type of these cartridges, described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,310,796, granted to me on July 22. 1919, comprises a bag of textile fabric having its mouth drawn into folds, the mouth of the bag being closed by a metal strip, in the form of a ring, which engages and compresses the folds, in combination with a suspending string which is,

attached to said bag by said strip. In making these cartridges, obviously, a bag must be first formed from a piece of textile fabric on a sewing machine.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a method of forming tea cartridges, which does away with the sewing operation, thereby greatly reducing the cost of manufacture.

Generally speaking, the method consists in shaping a piece of fabric so as to form a bag-like container, charging said container with tea-leaves or coffee, puckering the mouth of the container, and placinga metal strip around the puckered mouthportion so as to encircle and compress the same and thereby for closing the mouth of,

the container.

One of the many possible apparatuses for carrying out the method is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a piece of fabric, of which the container of the cartridge is formed; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section taken through the apparatus and fabric piece, showing one of the steps of the method; Fig. 3 is a similar section :showing a further step; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the means for puckering the mouth portion of the container; Fig. 5 is an elevation of a completed tea-cartridge before the trimming plan view 0 one of the co-operating dies operation; and Fig. 6 is-"awhich serve to hold the fabric piece during thev shaping operation.

In producing a cartridge, first a piece 10 of opeirmesh'textile fabric, preferably of square configuration. is cut from a strip.

This fabric 'pieceis placed upon a die 11, having the same configuration as the said fabric piece, it being provided with a central opening 12, registering with a hole 13 in a table 14. The die is placed into a mortise 15 in the table, with its exposed face flush with the upper face of the table. The die is provided with radial corrugations 16 in its exposed face, said corrugations extending from the opening 12 to the edges thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Into the hole 13 extends a plunger 17,'slidable in a uide 18, below the said table. Above the the 11 and in registering position therewith is sli-dably arranged in guides, not shown, a similar die 19. This die is provided in its underface with corrugations 20, the ridges in the latter die registering with the furrows in the die 11, and the ridges in the die 11 with the furrows in the die 19. -Thedie 19 is provided with a central opening 21, in

alignment with the opening 12 in the die 11.

Through the openings and hole in the dies and table, respectively, a tube 22 slides, as will hereinafter appear.

Below the table 14 are arranged, on diametrically opposite portions of the hole 13, oppositely movable puckering dies 23, each being provided with a notch 2 (Fig. 4) in its inner end.

In producing a tea cartridge, the fabric piece 10 is placed onto the die 11, the plunger 17 being brought to its upper position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. e die 19 is then lowered onto the fabric piece, producing uniform radial fiutings in the said fabric piece around a lain portion, the latter being disposed within the registering openings 21 and 12in the dies 19 and 11, respectlvely. The tube 22 is then moved through the openings in the dies and the 'hole- 13 in the table 14, forcing the plunger 17 downwards (Fig. 3), and carrying Wlth leaves or coffee 26 (Fig. 3), suflicient for a single brewing, is then inserted through the tube 22 into the container 25, and the said tube withdrawn, the mouth portion of the container being located within the hole 13 in the table 14. The dies 23 are then moved inwards, that is to say toward the center of the hole in the table 14, puckering the mouth of the container. While these puckering dies are in their inner positions, a metal strip 27 is applied to the container, thesaid strip being s aped to'assume the form of a ring, embracing the puckered mouth portion and holding the folds under compression, to prevent escaping of the contents.

For the purpose of facilitating the handling of the cartridge, there is secured thereto a flexible means, such as a string 28, to which is attached at its free end a handle 29, for instance, of cardboard. The string is secured to the cartridge by placing it against the puckered mouth of the contalner before the ring-shaped closure is applied thereto.

The mouth of the bag may be trimmed by I a knife 30 (Fig. 5) struction.

In brewing tea or coffee with the'imroved device, the cartridge is taken hold of y itshandle 29, and lowered into a pot, the free end of the string and handle being of any suitable conpermitted to hang over the mouth of the pot, after which its cover is put in place. The cover thus holds the outer end of the string and handle ready for further operation. Into the pot is poured a suitable quantity of boiling water, either before or after the insertion of the cartridge. When a tea or coffee cartridge,

sufiicient essence has been extracted from the tea-leaves or coffee within the cartridge, the

pot cover is removed withdrawn by grasping What I claim is 1. The method of producing a tea or coffee cartridge, which consists in, first, shaping a piece of open-mesh textile fabric into the form of a seamless baglike container while uniformly distributing the excess material into substantially vertical loose folds extending from adjacent the center of the fabric piece to the upper portion of the container, second, inserting into the container while held distended the material the essence of which is to be extracted, third, puckering the mouth of said container by drawing said folds all toward the longitudinal axis of said container, and, fourth, applying a closure to the mouth portion of the container in the meanwhile holding the said mouth portion clamped.

2. That step of the method of and the cartridge its handle 29.

producing which consists in shaping a piece of open-mesh textile fabric into the form of an open-mouthed seamless ba '-like container while uniformly distriiuting the excess material into substantially vertical folds extending from adjacent t'he center of the fabric piece to the upper portion of the container.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 28th dayof November, A. D. 1922.

BENJAMIN HIRSOHHORN. 

